Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel did not hold back after his side’s fielding lapses proved costly while defending a massive 265-run target against Punjab Kings. Despite putting up 264 on the board, which on most occasions would be considered more than competitive, the total proved insufficient as PBKS made light work of the chase, reaching the target with seven balls to spare. What looked like a commanding score quickly lost its edge once Punjab’s openers got going. Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya tore into the Delhi attack in the powerplay, racing to 116 in just six overs and putting the bowlers under immediate pressure. The Capitals’ attack struggled to find any control early on, with little assistance from the fielders behind them.
The situation worsened due to a string of dropped chances at crucial moments. Axar’s side shelled multiple opportunities, including reprieves for Shreyas Iyer, with Karun Nair involved in key misses at decisive stages. Those lapses shifted momentum firmly in Punjab’s favour, and Delhi were made to pay a heavy price as the game slipped away despite their huge first-innings effort.
Axar admitted that Delhi Capitals were left to pay the price for their mistakes in a high-scoring contest, pointing out that missed chances and poor execution in the powerplay tilted the game against them. He stressed that on a small ground and a good batting surface where 264 should have been enough, the team failed to back their bowlers in key moments and let Punjab Kings seize control early on.
"Looking at the kind of wicket, if you don’t support your bowlers and keep giving away so many chances, then I feel we deserved to lose. That’s the main point. It was a good pitch and a small ground, so sixes were always going to be hit. However, when opportunities arise and you don’t take even one, you drop chances, as we did today. On a wicket like this, if you don’t back your bowlers, it becomes difficult. At the same time, we also need to look at our bowling unit. The way we bowled in the powerplay, the fast bowlers, the fielding, and the opportunities we missed were the main reasons. Because on a wicket like this, 264 was a very good score," Axar said in the post-match presentation.
{{/usCountry}}"Looking at the kind of wicket, if you don’t support your bowlers and keep giving away so many chances, then I feel we deserved to lose. That’s the main point. It was a good pitch and a small ground, so sixes were always going to be hit. However, when opportunities arise and you don’t take even one, you drop chances, as we did today. On a wicket like this, if you don’t back your bowlers, it becomes difficult. At the same time, we also need to look at our bowling unit. The way we bowled in the powerplay, the fast bowlers, the fielding, and the opportunities we missed were the main reasons. Because on a wicket like this, 264 was a very good score," Axar said in the post-match presentation.
{{/usCountry}}KL Rahul's record-breaking 152-run* knock went in vain as, despite posting 264, DC bowlers failed to defend the mammoth target at their home ground.
“We’ll go back, review it again”: Axar Patel
The Delhi Capitals skipper tried to balance frustration with perspective after defeat, highlighting the team’s record-breaking 264 while stressing that repeated missed chances in tight moments have cost them matches, and urging a sharper approach to close out games going forward.
"If you look at the positives, we scored 264, which is a record score in the Indian Premier League. This shows that if luck goes your way a little and you take your catches, you can win two or three matches in a row. If you look at the matches we are losing, many were close games. That’s what I said at the toss as well, if we can grab the crucial moments, then two or three results could have gone our way and we could keep winning. But the key is that you have to seize those moments. It can’t keep happening that you come in every time and repeat the same mistakes. So I think we’ll go back, review it again, see what we can do, and where we can improve," he added.